Born to Try
by cookiethiefmimii
Summary: The daughter of Bellatrix and Rudolphus Lestrange has never had it easy. Returning to school to repeat her last year amongst her fellow students will be no exception. My summaries are bad, please read!
1. Boxes

**Disclaimer: I don't own 'Harry Potter', it belongs to J.K Rowling.**

**Basically, this came to me while bored. ****. I think I will carry on with it, it depends what you think, so reviews would be very much appreciated! I hope you enjoy.**

'Ebony, it's time.' The quiet, sympathetic voice spoke from behind her, almost pleading for her to follow its direction. She stood, but did not immediately turn around; she blinked and sighed before facing the speaker. There stood a woman, kind and caring, next to her sister, who looked drawn and worried, whose normally tidy white-blonde hair had been left to hang limply around her neck.

'Are you ready?' The blonde sister asked. Ebony longed to ask '_Are you?_' but her mouth would not form the words so she simply nodded and allowed herself to be led from the room, standing silently between her two aunts.

The cold air of the world outside served to alert her from her dream-like trance, returned her senses slightly. It gave her the cognition to note the influx of people, the uncomfortably tight grip of her Aunt Narcissa's hand on her forearm. The crowds proceeded with pageantry, their speech hushed whispers, their gazes empathetic to their fellows, others who had suffered great loss. Friends hugged one another, drawing comfort from sheer numbers and yet they stood, scanning the crowd, there but different.

'Narcissa, we need to think about this-'

'No.' she spoke sharply, causing Ebony to jump slightly. 'Not now. Not this day.'

'I know what you're going to say-'

'So you think! Not now, I tell you! Later.'

'Please, just answer me this one-'

'I. Said. NO!' Narcissa turned to face her sister, her remaining sister, so similar to the sister she had lost yet opposite. Andromeda had now fallen silent and nodded in resignation, tears sparkling in her eyes.

The people were bundled onto a familiar train that Ebony had used to see as a representation of joy. Now it was draped in black, shrouded in grief and filled with the sound of mourning.

'There they are.' Narcissa's voice was now quiet, no longer angry. A small group was heading towards them, all wearing black. Her cousin, his voice constricted with emotion, spoke first.

'Are you alright, Ebby?'

Again, she nodded, unconvincingly, but wanting to put his mind at rest. He rested a hand on her shoulder and looked past her to his mother, who shook her head. He tried to make conversation with Ebony all the way on the train, but her mind was focused on tracing rain drops down the window, willing each to fall in a straight line, and closing her eyes and counting to one thousand everytime they wavered. Her concentration was broken only by the familiar shape of the sprawling school breaking through the grey sky. Her gaze became set on the castle looming ever closer at each rattle of the Hogwarts Express.

When Ebony was younger she was take as many boxes as she could get her hands on and laid them out in rows, pretending to be a nurse, putting her dollies to bed. She'd very gently lower the lids, save for the bit over the face, so they could still breathe and bid them a long, uninterrupted sleep. That was what the hospital wing looked like then, a place for sick people. And it was, but those who were sick were not lying in the beds as one would expect but wandering from row to row, locating where their loved ones slept. And those boxes for beds were where people cried and what her own remaining family members were now peering into.

'Ebony.' She knew to go to the box when her name was called like that. 'Time to say goodbye.' Two white roses were forced into her hand; she placed one, quickly, into the hands of her mother. Now a motionless figure that was stone-cold and unthinking. She tugged at the locket round her mother's neck and pocketed it. A final farewell. Emotionless, she turned to the next box-bed. A jolt caused her to stop and regain a normal breathing rate before going ahead. She squeezed the rose in her hand, felt a sudden sharp pain and raised her hand to place the flower in that of her father's. Hot liquid trickled from her eyelids and she took a single tear on her finger, the salt stinging the gash left from the thorn. She watched in fascination as the two bodily fluids combined, the red floating like oil when mingled with the translucent.

'We don't have long now.' Andromeda's voice came from far away, a terrible warning of what was about to be lost. Without further ado, she stroked a dripping finger across her father's face and watched as the crimson ran and dripped down his defined chin. A daughter's last goodbye. Every detail she tried to remember, for she knew this would be the last time she would ever gaze upon the face of the man she called Dad.


	2. How it Began

**Disclaimer: I still don't own 'Harry Potter'. As before, J.K Rowling does.**

**Once again, I don't know where this came from, but it seems to be going somewhere now. I hope you people like it. . Please let me know what you think when you are done reading it.**

It was always disconcerting for a man to be told by his wife that she was pregnant in the middle of a war, worrying. Of course, it was even more disconcerting when the words,

'Rodolphus, I'm pregnant' were followed by 'don't worry, it isn't yours.' Upon seeing his shocked face, she'd hastened to make that very clear. Not that it could have been his anyway, however, as they had not so much as shared a bed since consummating their marriage on the night of their wedding. The next week, he and Bellatrix had been called to the Dark Lord's presence to discuss the "arrangements".

'You understand the world must think it yours, do you not, Rodolphus?' That chilling, high voice had told him. 'At least until such a time when I have complete control.'

'My Lord…' He had begun, feeling anger, something dangerous to feel towards a wizard so powerful. 'I'm not sure that I can fulfil that role, I –'

'You _will _fulfil it Rodolphus, you mark my words you will. A _lot _of time and effort has gone into this particular creation. I will not have that ruined, not now it could draw us so close to what we desire, should we use it properly…' Voldemort's voice trailed off wistfully and Rodolphus heard his wife giggle and then sigh, longing for the same as her master. 'Which we will. This is a most valuable tool to power, Rodolphus, and you too Bellatrix, you must keep it safe. My son. My heir.'

'We will, My Lord, to serve you only.' Bellatrix came closer, her face radiant with happiness. Finally, she was of good use to Him. Rodolphus had exhaled slowly; nothing good could come of this he was sure.

The baby had been born early. A week early, at that, so they were not prepared for its arrival. By this time, Rodolphus had not been able to bring himself to forgive his wife. He did not love her, no, but he did not want any other man to have her, either.

'Just think though, Rod.' His brother Rabastan had said to him, they were sat in the drawing room of his home, whiskey glasses in their hands, 'I'll be an uncle soon.'

'No you won't.' He'd said mechanically. Rabastan had no choice but to be informed of the Plan. He knew how Bellatrix and Rodolphus were scared to so much as hold hands, let alone take their relationship further.

'Sure I will.'

'No, Stan, you will not. It's not mine.'

Hearing Bellatrix scream for six hours straight had given him some satisfaction, and then it was brought to him. Small, wrapped in a white blanket and held out to him in the arms of its Aunt.

'She doesn't want her.' Was all Narcissa had said sadly. A mother herself, she could not imagine not wanting to look at your own child.

'Her?' Rodolphus looked up, startled.

'Yes. No name, just her.' And with that she deposited the bundle into his arms and hurried away, back to her sister. And he had looked down into the child's face, not knowing what he expected to see. She was just a baby. Strangely, her eyes flicked open and looked into his, her gaze more intent than any newborn's naturally was, her eyes not a clear baby blue, but already black as coal.

_Yes, I could get used to this baby thing…_

Her hand escaped its bindings and reached up towards his face, Rodolphus took it in his and felt her fingers grip round his thumb.

'No name?' He asked. 'Shall I think of one for you?' As he blinked he thought he saw her head incline forwards slightly, confirming the request. He dismissed this, realizing his stupidity. Rodolphus studied her for a moment before saying 'Ebony.'

Rabastan coughed, bringing his brother out of his reverie.

'Am I an uncle yet?'

'Yes.' Rodolphus looked to him, an unreadable expression on his face. 'You are.'

**Yes, I know, it's a bit….'lovey-dovey', but there's a reason for that, I hope you didn't mind too much. Please review, sharing (your opinions with me) is caring. Plus the reviews keep me writing. :L.**


	3. Daddy

**Disclaimer: Sorry, I still don't own 'Harry Potter'. .**

**I really hope you like this one, it's more of a 'set-up' chapter than anything…you will see what for at a later time. It's another flashback as well, so you know. .**

Growth and time were funny things. Mesmerizing. Sometimes they passed to slowly that every tick of the aging grandfather clock was painful, other times it seemed like seconds had never passed for they went so unnoticed and no sooner had dawn broken than dusk was falling. The sun peeping one last time over the clouds, lighting up the Lestrange's home in an orange and pink haze. That was what that night had been like. Just an ordinary evening, Rodolphus had put Ebony to bed and was making a cup of tea, listening for any sounds that would indicate she had woken. She was now reaching her first birthday, only two weeks away, and had already learned how to swing herself over the side of her crib. Twice that week had she thrown herself to the floor. With this in mind, he went to the living room, where Bellatrix was reading up on the Dark Arts '_How to train your Magical Creatures: The most useful option' _he frowned.

'What's that?'

'At what age can a child have a wand, Rodolphus?' She looked up from her reading, her eyes still blank, not really focussed on him. He understood the book.

'I don't know.' He said tightly. 'What are we doing about her birthday?'

'Hm?' She had gone back to her book again.

'Ebby's birthday, what are we doing about it?'

'When is it?'

'Two weeks, Bellatrix. She'll be one year old. Her first birthday.'

'Can she have a wand yet?'

'Bellatrix? Are you serious? Ebby can barely hold a spoon for herself!'

'Shame. That could have been her birthday present…' Her voice trailed away and Rodolphus sighed. She still could not bear to see her daughter as anything more than a very useful device for the Cause.

'Well, I was thinking that we could have a small gathering. You know, me, you, Narcissa, Lucius and Draco, Stan…'

That's when they heard the knock on the door. Both paused for a moment, Bellatrix went back to her book.

'Don't worry about getting the door or anything; I've only been out all day with the baby…' he muttered. Opening the door, he saw Rabastan, who looked frenzied and agitated.

'Stan! We were just talking about Ebby's birthday and –'

'No time for that, no time for that!' He barged past his brother and into their house, striding into the living room.

'Why Rabastan, have you never heard of removing your shoes before entering your br—'

'Not now, you silly girl, not now!' He cut her off, her face turned red and her eyes burned with their own jet black fire. A fire that made most cringe and look away, but Rabastan's own eyes were flicking from one to the other.

'What's happened?' Rodolphus asked, feeling his gut clench uncomfortably and desperately wanting to divert the conversation away from the steadily mounting argument between his wife and her brother-in-law.

'The Dark Lord has fallen…' Rabastan started, 'it is believed that those _meddling_ aurors, the Longbottoms, they know something…'

'WE MUST FIND THEM.' Bellatrix shrieked, tear tracks making pathways down her pale face, dripping from her chin and landing on her corseted chest, over her left breast, each travelling through and reaching her heart, stabbing it painfully. Her master was lost, and so was she. Nothing else mattered but that guiding light he had lead her by, she was determined that it would not be extinguished. 'IF THEY KNOW, THEY WILL TELL US, THEY WILL, _THEY WILL_!' Her voice broke.

Rabastan looked to his brother. 'She is right. You must go, we must gather all the information we can, we must find him.'

'Now?'

'Now.'

'What about Ebby? We can't leave her here.'

'THIS IS NOT THE TIME!' Bellatrix wailed, her face contorted with rage.

'I'll wait.' Rabastan said suddenly. 'Someone will come and find you; I will leave them with her and join you. Go.'

Rodolphus' feet were pounding on the hard ground, his breath coming in ragged gasps and his clothes ripped and torn.

_Ebby Ebby Ebby Ebby Ebby Ebby…_

He needed to get home to her, needed to escape with her. Need to wipe the memory of whoever was watching her. They'd go to Spain was what he thought, it was a desperate man's fantasy, he wanted to get away, away from the aurors chasing him, away from the wife he now loathed, away from this life he no longer wanted.

He used the back door, unlocked so he wouldn't have to pause for even a second to get his keys from his pocket.

'Hello?' He called.

Nothing.

'Ebby?'

Nothing.

'Anyone?'

Nothing.

'EBONY!'

And then he heard her crying. Gaining the stairs faster than he would have thought possible, he threw himself into her bedroom, tripping on toys and sliding on children's books, his foot knocked over the glass of milk he had been drinking as he rocked her to sleep that night. The few hours that had passed in between felt like years. It was funny how that could happen, how hours could seem like years and how much could and had happened in the seconds that followed. One moment, he was reaching for his daughter, cursing his brother who had left her all alone, then she was in his arms, then he was on the floor with a foot to the side of his head. Somebody had wrestled his cherished child away from him, he wanted nothing more than to take her in his arms and stop her crying. The sounds that made his heart crack.

He was being pulled away from the room, away from Ebby. Would he ever see her again? After what they'd done tonight.

And as he left he heard her,

'DADDY!'

And that's when his heart broke.

**As always, I really want to know your thoughts and if you want more chapters. I won't write without reviews! ;). No, I really do value your opinions as there is no point in writing if no one will read it.**

**And thank you people for following it this far, this is my first full fanfic, I have only written stuff that I have never posted up on here before. .**


	4. Puzzled

**Disclaimer: Still no credit to me for 'Harry Potter'…still belongs to J.K Rowling. Much as I'd like it to be mine…**

**Please review and tell me what you think. . Flashback mark…III now? Enjoy ! .**

The gentle hum of voices never stopped. There was always somebody around, always another person needing something, always places to go. Ebony had lost count of the number of people who had visited them in last week, something that frustrated her greatly, for there had been so many, not to mention the shadier characters who came by after her bedtime.

'…yes, Mr Avery, we would be delighted…' Narcissa's voice floated from the next room. Ebony looked up from her drawing, listening. If Auntie Cissy was going to invite Sian round again, Ebony might cry. Last time the nearly three year old had been here, it had taken Ebony hours to make her bedroom the tidy place it should be again.

'You shouldn't eavesdrop.' Draco looked up, setting down his pencil. He looked at her pointedly.

'Tell-tale.' She muttered, returning to her own piece of paper.

'…nearly nine, to think! Ebony's birthday is only two months later. They grow so quickly!' The children's argument halted when they heard this sentence. Glancing at one another in unity and rolling their eyes, both knew what was coming next.

'Draco! Ebony!' The summons. This was the part where they were called into a room and inspected, while grown-ups commented on pointless things such as their shoe size and where Ebony had to remind herself not to squirm or pull away when someone patted her head of dark curls.

Navigating the maze of hallways throughout Malfoy Manor, they found themselves at the living room door.

'After you.' Ebony stepped back.

'Ladies first.' Draco moved away from the door. Their eyes locked. Neither got to make the decision, however, before the door was opened from the inside, revealing the pair.

'Come in, do not dawdle!' Lucius Malfoy moved and took each of them by the wrist, Ebony pulled away on reflex. 'Ebony…in. Now.' She followed, trailing behind her uncle and cousin.

Narcissa caught her eye as she entered the room and raised her eyebrows, a silent gesture that Ebony knew to be a warning to behave herself.

As predicted, the living room was packed full of people. Guests.

'Fine boy, you have there, Lucius.' A man commented, 'And a very pretty niece.' He addressed this last comment to Narcissa, who smiled and nodded in thanks.

Mr Avery spoke next. 'You children have grown, some. Sian has too; she is so looking forward to seeing you again, particularly you, Ebony.' He turned to face her; Ebony looked away, and heard Narcissa clear her throat in warning, with effort, Ebony met his gaze. 'Are you excited to see her?'

'Not really, sir.' Narcissa coughed, Ebony felt that this meant she should offer some explanation for her statement. 'Last time she was here, she messed up my bedroom.' She paused. 'I suppose she can come round again, if you….if you keep her suitably controlled!' There. She'd said it, and used a grown up word.

The room collapsed into laughter.

'Well,' Mr Avery said, wiping his eyes, 'Ebony here certainly is her mother's daughter!'

More laughter. Narcissa froze. Ebony watched her Aunt get up and leave the room. No one else seemed to have noticed. Uncle Lucius was offering more wine, and Draco was asking a man in the corner questions about dragons, would anyone notice if Ebony slipped away now?

This was confusing. What a silly thing of Mr Avery to say! Of course she was her 'mother's daughter', she couldn't be any other woman's daughter, could she? Why had Aunt Cissy run away like that? Ebony couldn't remember her mother, did Aunt Cissy not like her? Is that why she left the room? Why had her eyes been watery as she closed the door? Was she sad or had she been laughing enough to have a heart attack like Mr Avery had been when his eyes were wet? Ebony started to shake, she needed to ask someone about this, and fast.

Ebony clattering across the room towards her had made Narcissa put down her brandy and dry her eyes. How she wished that girl would learn to knock.

'Aunt Cissy?'

'Please knock the door before coming in, Ebony, how many times do you need to be told?'

'You said that when I came into your bedroom, this is the reading room, it's not private like you said bedrooms are.' Narcissa opened her mouth but Ebony continued with, 'you said I have to knock when I'm "asking to go into someone's bedroom, because bedrooms are private". This is somewhere everyone in the house goes!'Ebony's voice rose towards the end, she nearly gave way to tears of confusion but held back, she didn't like crying.

'Well…' Narcissa sighed, rubbing her face with her hands, 'never mind. What was it that you wanted?'

'I wanted to know why you left the room.'

'What, Ebony?'

'Why you left the room when they said about my mother. I don't see why you did that.'

'It makes me sad to talk about your mother.'

'Why, do you not like her?'

'No, quite the opposite-' She took a deep breath, restraining her emotions in front of the child, 'I love your mother very much, and it makes me sad that she's not here, so when someone talks about, I remember her, and it makes me sad.'

'If you love her, then why does remembering her make you upset?'

'It makes me miss her, Ebony.'

'Oh.' Ebony thought for a moment, taking in this new information about how people felt when they missed someone. 'Well, I don't think I like her very much…'

'Why?' Narcissa asked, shocked.

'She did bad things and got herself sent to prison. She must have known that what she did would get her into trouble, like me, when you tell me that I can't go in the kitchen by myself and then I do it anyway, she must have known because it's the rules and everybody gets told the rules. So if she knew that, but she did it anyway, then she must not have loved me very much, or she wouldn't have got herself taken away from me, would she?'

'I don't think she thought of that.' Narcissa cringed inwardly, when was the right age to tell a child about post natal depression? Not at eight, she knew that much, how could she make this simpler? Unable to contain it any longer, tears began to fall, one by one.

'Are you sad again?' Ebony asked, concern flooding her high voice.

'Yes.'

'Is it my fault?'

'No, Ebby, no, it's just…Mr Avery is right, you are so like her!'

'_But I don't want to be!_' Thought Ebony, bringing to mind that picture she had once seen in an out-dated copy of the '_**Daily Prophet**_'. It didn't make sense, why couldn't she just be herself, and not be like anyone else. Closing the door, she felt her own hot tears begin to fall. Why was it that she could solve an equation **with** brackets, but the key to people eluded her? It wasn't fair and it didn't make sense.

**I can only apologise for this. :L. I wanted to give a sense of normal family life and I think I failed. I beg for reviews on this one, as I am really not sure about this chapter.**


	5. Quiet

**Disclaimer: Still no ownership qualities go to me, I'm afraid.**

**Enjoy!**

Now a hushed silence had descended upon Malfoy Manor. Ebony had thought back to that day, the words of Mr Walter Avery ricocheted around in her mind – '…certainly her mother's daughter'. As before, she shook her head, tried to shake the words away, but still they stayed, as her mother would, etched as part of her forever.

Once again, the door to the reading room was closed, Narcissa's brandy stash severely depleted. Ebony didn't dare knock or the door, or enter without knocking at that, for she was scared of what she would see. Even at seventeen, and after all she had been through, she didn't like seeing 'grown ups' cry.

Draco was depressed, Ebony could tell that, and if Ebony managed to work out a person's emotions, then they must be obvious. He couldn't cope with his father being jailed. This had confused Ebony to the highest degree. Her parents had been in jail for most of her life and she had felt no negative emotion about it, no emotion at all, if she was honest. She almost wanted to tell him to man up but had been told that this would not be appropriate. At least his father was still alive. Still breathing.

Suddenly, she wanted her father more than anything. She closed her eyes; it stopped the tears from falling. Images. Her father playing with her when she was a baby, her father waving to her for the first time in years after his escape from Azkaban, her father smiling at her as he waited on the platform to collect her for the Christmas holidays as she got off the Hogwarts Express, her father hugging her goodbye – the only person she'd ever allow to hug her – as he sent her off for that last term at school, her father scanning crowds anxiously for her during the battle while shouting her name, her father fighting, her father dead. He'd been sleeping just like all the other casualties.

Her father.

Her mother.

Her cousin, Nymphadora.

Remus Lupin.

Fred Weasley.

Colin Creevey.

Vincent Crabbe.

Walter Avery.

Her thinking paused. Mr Avery was dead. _Sian_. What had happened to her? She had no mother, she had died in childbirth. Where was Sian now? Was she going back to school? Would Ebony ever see her again? Without pause, she sought out Narcissa, having to take deep breaths before she knocked the door, remembering to knock.

'Leave me alone.' Was the only reply.

'But I knocked on the door…' Ebony's voice trailed away.

Inside the room, Narcissa stood, feeling an unexpected rush of maternal love towards her niece.

'_All too late_.' She told herself. '_How has she still retained that innocence? Even after all this…_' She unlocked the door.

'I have a question to ask you.' Immediately, Ebony got to the point.

'Yes?'

'What's happened to Sian?'

'Sian?' She asked, dazed.

'Yes, Sian Avery, Mr Avery's daughter, where is she?'

'Oh dear….with her grandparents, I expect. Why?'

'Just wondered.' Ebony shrugged, unable to look at her Aunt.

'You'll see her soon, Ebby.' Narcissa said quietly, 'She'll be there, it's her father's parents she's staying with, they won't miss it.'

'Okay.' Ebony backed away, 'thank you.'

She was referring to the memorial. An event Ebony was dreading; least of all for the stares she would surely receive. She sighed. At least HE'D be there; she smiled, yes, that made her feel better.

**Dun dun duunnnn! Who is this myserious 'he'? You'll find out once I've got to that part, this thing is taking such a lot of time to write.**

**As always, I'd love your thoughts.**


	6. Memorial

**Disclaimer: No.**

**Sorry, I'm taking a while to get to this, but here it is, this is kind of where it really begins, I hope you like it, it took me a while to write.**

It was the day they had all been building up to. For some reason, it didn't affect Ebony as much as she thought it would, the identification had bothered her more…she still shuddered at the thought of that. Ebony's biggest worry for that day was whether or not Narcissa was going to be able to make it through the memorial service without a glass of brandy in her hand. Coming to think of it, Ebony was beginning to worry if her Aunt would make it to the event at all or if she'd stand up and topple over, she hadn't emerged from the Reading Room all morning. Once again, remembering to knock, she approached the door.

'Auntie Cissy?' She called when she got no response. 'Are you okay? We have to go in…' she consulted her digital watch. 'Twenty minutes and sixteen seconds…fifteen seconds…fourteen seconds…'

Narcissa sighed. Wiping away her tears and pushing the nearly empty bottle of brandy bottle out of her way. Standing, she wavered a little, feeling tears come again, how could she not cry, in the face of her Niece's innocent concern? The counting stopped abruptly.

'Please open the door.'

She moved and then stopped.

'I said "please"!' Ebony's voice was desperate, pleading. A child's voice. And she was but a child, for everything she was, she was just a little girl. 'I'd really like you to open the door. It's a nice door and I don't want to have to break it.'

Narcissa opened the door. 'What is it?' She asked, her voice breaking.

'You're sad.' There was no emotion in Ebony's voice. It wasn't even a question, just a fact.

'Yes, I'm sad.'

'You're crying.'

'I know.'

'Why?' The dreaded question.

'Because horrible things have happened.'

'Yes. My Dad died.'

'And your Mother.'

Ebony said nothing, she knew that Auntie Cissy missed Mother dearly but she couldn't bring herself to be sad for her.

'Auntie Cissy…'

'Mm?'

'You need to put your shoes on. We only have eighteen minutes and three seconds now.'

The two of them continued into the hall and Narcissa pulled on her boots, fumbling with the laces, she couldn't make her shaking hands work. A small thing like that proved too much and she collapsed to the floor, sobbing. Unsure, Ebony approached her.

'You don't need to cry, Auntie Cissy, I can't do my shoe laces up either.'

'…and now we pray for them. For all of them. For those who fought for or cause or against it. For they all have need of our prayers…'

The chairs weren't comfortable. Ebony was partly concentrating on trying not to move, so as not to make her seat squeak and have everybody turn around to look at her (again) with daggers in their eyes, and partly concentrating on the arrangements for the newest additions to the family mausoleum. Neither were particularly pleasant things to be thinking of, but it brought some variation into the tedium of the service. On one side of her, she had Auntie Andromeda, crying silently, and occasionally giving Ebony's hand an unwelcome squeeze. To the other side of her, Auntie Cissy was paying no mind to the amount of noise she was making and beyond her, Ebony's cousin Draco, was doing his best to be masculine and hold back tears. He was having little success.

The service was interminable so Ebony had zoned out and the next thing she knew everybody around her was standing and Andromeda was handing roses to the small group.

'Why is it always ro-' Ebony piped up, Andromeda put a finger to her lips to silence her. Sighing, Ebony wondered why it always was that she was forever being told to be quiet; she only wanted to ask a question…

Row by row, the congregation inside the great hall were called to place their flowers in front of a new plaque on the wall with the names of the deceased embossed on it in red writing, a contrast to the gold of the plaque. Ebony lingered for a moment, reading the names before she laid down her rose.

…_**Pierre Lafayette. Madeleine Landslow & Vincent Landslow. Serena Larksong. Bellatrix Lestrange and Rudolphus Lestrange…**_

She stopped. Focused on the last name. A melancholy song had been started up further away from her on the platform.

'…_and made snow angels, making angels, you always had bigger wings…'_

Keeping her eyes fixed on the name, she crouched down to lay her offering. Her hand brushed past that of another and Ebony jumped and whirled round. There he was. He smiled.

'Act natural.' He hissed, as he too crouched in front of the plaque with a flower, a poppy. 'Are you coming back?'

'Yes. Draco is too, are you?'

'Yes, my Gran wouldn't ever let me not!'

'I've missed you so much.'

'God, Ebony, I've missed you too.' They both moved forwards at the same time, and their hands collided, both pulled away and giggled anxiously. Letting only his eyes move, he scanned the crowd in order to ascertain whether their private laughter had been seen by any unwelcome party. They were safe for now. However, as he glanced back to her, he noticed that she was standing, her cousin looming by her side. Meeting Draco Malfoy's gaze, he too stood. Ebony spoke, so as to relieve the heavy atmosphere.

'Your hand is bleeding. The thorn cut in.' With that, she turned, her cousin holding forcefully onto her arm, and was reunited with the remainder of her family, and Neville Longbottom watched her leave. Once her long, mahogany curls had been entirely swallowed by the crowd, the throng of people, he transferred his attention to his bleeding hand, examining carefully the wound which the delicate flower caused.

**I really hope you approve of this chapter, as it took me so long to write. . All thoughts welcome. Thank you everyone. :D.**

**Oh, and the next chapter will probably take a while to get up, so just a courtesy warning. .**


	7. Greenhouse 1

**Disclaimer: Do I still need to put this?**

**Thank you for sticking with it until this point. Ebony's going back to school and…well, you'll see. .**

Drizzle. Grey, grey drizzle. Nothing but a haze of people and suitcases crowding a platform in nasty weather, every outline of a human being adorned with an umbrella. It wasn't a good omen to be going back to school on, especially as, for the first time, Draco and Ebony were making the journey alone. It was meant to be that Narcissa would drop them off, but since she was too intoxicated to drive the car that morning, Ebony had thought it wise to call for a taxi and her Aunt saw them off, somewhat tearfully, at the gate. Both had taken a deep breath and looked at one another for courage and comfort that neither could give before getting out the cab.

'This is it.' Draco had murmured softly.

'Is what?' Ebony was bewildered. _Please, Draco, don't confuse me now!_

'Is us going back to school. It'll be different now, Ebby, you'll see.'

'I know it will.' She didn't ask about how that constituted it being 'it'. To her, 'it' either meant the children's game, or the end of something, as in 'X had it'.

Draco watched as his cousin got out of the car and wordlessly started unloading their belongings from the boot. He knew how unchivalrous he was being, but he only had the energy to pay the driver and wait for her to finish. For the first time since his second year he flinched as he crossed over to platform 9 ¾. Thankfully, it was too dark to make anyone out and he couldn't even spot Ebony amongst the mass of other people clamouring to get onto the train. Ordinarily, he had no desire for her to hang around him for fear of her saying something to damage his reputation, like how he still slept with the light on at night, but now he wanted her with him. Not to protect her, but for her innocence, it was of some comfort to him, she was a distraction. One he now couldn't find.

'Oi, Draco!' Called a familiar voice from behind him. Goyle.

'Hello.'

'Where's Eb'ny at? She not coming back this year?'

'She is, she's wandered off somewhere, I was just looking for her actually, you haven't seen her ha-'

'Ahh, always the same is Eb'ny. Don' worry about her, she'll come strolling back wondering what day of the week it is. No coat, no bag and all the rest of it. Say, d'you reckon they'll still sell snacks on the train? Just I don' think breakfast was enough an'…' Goyle prattled on and Draco sighed, it was going to be a long year.

The train seemed to be going at an unusually slow pace. Normally, before Ebony knew it, she was ten minutes away and hardly had time to change into her robes and sort out her hair. Today, she'd already done these things and had resorted to staring out of the window, wiping away condensation as it formed.

'Hello Ebony…' A dreamy voice was heard from behind her. She swivelled in her seat.

'Oh, hello, Luna.'

'Did you have a good summer?'

'Not really. Did you?'

'It was nice, me and Daddy re-built the garden fence and I got bitten by a gnome. See?' She held out her finger, baring two small bites.

'You didn't use magic?' Ebony's shock was evident.

'No, Daddy says if you do it by hand, you'll attract more nargles.'

Ebony didn't bother asking what a nargle was. Luna was still lingering in the doorway. She wasn't usually one to hold back, that's what Ebony liked best about her – it meant she was easy to understand, but now she was hesitating.

'Is there something you wanted to say to me, Luna?'

'Yes, there was.' She closed the compartment door behind her. 'Ebony. You and Neville. Are you in love?'

For once Ebony was lost for words. They had been so, so careful the previous year, neither of them had any idea anybody besides them knew. How had Luna found out?

'How do you know that?'

'It's the way he looks at you.' She said simply. 'At the memorial he nearly tripped over Mrs Weasley to get to the platform when you went up. He had his eyes on you the whole time.'

'Oh.' Sudden panic made Ebony stand up; Luna didn't look perturbed by this. 'Anyone else notice anything?'

'I don't think so. Not many people look, you see.'

That first meal in the Great Hall was always the worst one. Everybody was there. It was busy and noisy and there was always that one over excited kid who threw noodles in your lap. Well, in Ebony's experience anyway.

'So, now I have half the set, and they're in number order-'

'Chronological order.'

'Yeah, yeah, we all know you're a brain box!' Sian laughed. Ebony had been snagged by her the moment she had entered the Hall and was now being given an account of her Wizard Cards. She was remembering not to tell her that she didn't care, when someone grabbed her shoulders.

'Curse you, Ebony Lestrange, what'd you leave me with Goyle for?' Draco sat down, and filled his plate with food.

'I thought you were friends?' Ebony pulled a face of mock innocence and scooted away from him to stop him for grabbing her so suddenly again.

'Yes.' He swallowed what he was chewing, Ebony raised her eyebrows. 'But you get more intelligent conversation from talking to something floating on its back at the bottom of a pond!'

'Well…you shouldn't mock the afflicted you know.' She told Sian, turning as Sian laid her Wizard Cards proudly on the table in front of her.

'I wasn't mocking him! I-' Draco began to counter.

'I meant you.'

Sian laughed. It was over Draco's noisy protests that Ebony heard her name being called. She scanned the room, her eyes resting upon Neville, who was attempting to be discreet, at getting her attention. He was nodding towards the door. Politely excusing herself, Ebony waited a couple of minutes before following him. Her footsteps sounded eerily loud in the empty corridors, parts of the school still taped off where walls had collapsed during the battle. It looked desolate. Ebony stopped walking. She forgot who she was looking for. She stared, letting the silence seep into her, at the gaping hole in the castle wall.

'Ebony. Over here.' The sudden voice startled her. She relaxed when she remembered she was looking for Neville. He was peeping at her from behind a suit of armour, his hair tousled. He had an expression like he was breaking the most consequential of rules. Ebony smiled and slipped behind the suit of armour with him, they were only inches away from each other.

'Why are we behind here?' Ebony whispered, getting into the spirit of the rule breaking game.

'I've found somewhere better for us to go, I just wanted to get your…attention…' he stopped and breathed deeply. He'd forgotten how much he liked her shampoo.

'Shall we go there, then? This guy's digging his elbow into my back!' She nodded her head in the direction of the suit of armour. Neville dislodged himself from his hiding place and looked left and right at the walls, as though there might be someone there watching. Ebony giggled. He reached back and took her hand, leading her out from against the wall. Half way down the front steps, when Ebony was laughing so much at Neville's constant vigilance in the face of nothing that she was gasping for breath, he stopped and started laughing himself.

'We're on a mission. Shh.' He put his finger to his lips and carried on. Just as they crossed the lawn near Hagrid's hut, Neville started humming something.

'Is that 'Mission Impossible'?'

'You better believe it!'

Ebony didn't really understand how their mission was 'impossible' or what the mission actually was, but she laughed anyway. She always felt like laughing when Neville was around.

He led her to the herbology lawn, and rattled the door of Greenhouse 1 until it clicked open. Despite Ebony not being a fan of plants, she followed him inside; he closed the door quietly behind them.

'This where you wanted to bring me?' She looked at the ceiling, shuddering at the cobwebs hanging from it.

'Yeah, it's private; no one will find us here.' He lit one of the lanterns on the table next to the workbench and smiled proudly. Ebony smiled back, though she still felt a little apprehensive.

'Don't be nervous.' He crossed the room to her and lifted her chin to face him. Leaning forwards, slowly, so as not to startle her, he gently pressed his lips to hers. She responded with a pressure of her own, more forceful than he had been. He wound his arms around her back, pulling her closer to him and Ebony shrugged off her cloak so as to free her arms, Neville did the same.

'Are you nervous too, yet?' She said quietly, pulling herself away for a moment.

'Yes…' He replied, blowing out the lamp he'd lit and plunging them into total darkness.

**And the rest of this scene is whatever your imagination conjures up! Haha, I hope you liked it. .**


	8. Illusions

When Ebony was a child, she'd always felt under constant observation, always people looking, waiting. That's a little how she felt now, as she walked down the corridor for her first lesson of the year with almost every pair of eyes lining the halls on her. She felt that the statues behind their helmets were eying her too. She heard them whispering and stopped just around the corner, clamping her hands over her ears and shaking her head.

'_Stop it. Just stop it. Stop it!'_

She tried to picture the previous night. Neville showing off his Mimbulus Mimbletonia plant from his Gran and how the slime had ended up covering them both when, in the dark, he'd decided to give it a poke. Ebony had laughed. She'd felt free. In the cold light of day, that seemed so long ago.

'Ebony?' A voice came from behind her. She whipped around to face the owner.

'Oh...hiya Harry I...urm...' she faltered, something that was unusual for Ebony. She didn't necessarily say much but when she did it was said with confidence.

'Look, Ebony' Harry raked his fingers through his hair unsure of how to carry on, 'I just wanted to say that well-' the shrill sound of a bell ringing cut him off and Ebony made to walk away from him. He caught her arm and turned her round to face him. Ebony didn't like that. 'I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for your loss.'

Harry paused. Ebony said nothing; she wore an unreadable expression on her face. She looked blank, and she reminded Harry of a China Doll with her dark hair, porcelain skin and rosy cheeks. To look at, one wouldn't have believed she was seventeen until they met her eyes. In those dark pools was an age that none could quite fathom; Ebony was wise beyond her years. Like Harry, she had her mother's eyes.

She walked away, keeping her head down. Hurrying through corridors that had once acted as her catwalk, her head held high and her expression one of pride. Despite her parent's wrongdoings she had felt safe in the knowledge that she was _their daughter._ No one would mess with her, or tease her for being odd. Now they were gone. Ebony felt her throat start to tighten and tears threatening. She pushed open the classroom door took a seat.

'Okay, welcome back class, I trust we are all feeling refreshed...' Slughorn paused for effect 'I understand that we all have our troubles this term and adjustments will have to be made. I for one will be making allowances' another pause 'now I know you all are probably very surprised to see me standing up here, this being a Charms class. But Professor Flitwick is also teaching Muggle Studies now, so half your Charms classes will be with and half with me until we find a suitable replacement for the late Professor Burbage.'

Ebony felt a growing sense of unease and embarrassment, paranoia was beginning to creep in.

'_Stop looking at me!_'

'Today we will be learning how to cast a spell that creates an illusion. To practise we will use our own reflections in these mirrors' he gestured behind him to where a number to full length oval mirrors on wheels stood in wait 'you may change the reflection to anything you like providing it is appropriate and not obscene in anyway' he looked at his class, there were a few giggles, the atmosphere lightened. Almost like old times.

'Read pages 110-114 in your books and then you may begin. Ask me if you need any help'

Hermione immediately bee lined for his desk, eager to know more and having already read the book 'for fun' during the summer. Ebony too, had already learned this particular spell so made her way to a mirror; joined moments later by a few other students. She heard snippets of their conversations.

'...weird being back isn't it? I keep forgetting it's safe. Thinking all those...' the girl shot Ebony a wary glance, '..._people_ will come back.'

'_Come back. Come back. Come back..._'

Ebony turned back to her mirror and froze, fear gripped her in an icy vice like way as she stared at the person looking back at her, with eyes so dark they saw right through her and arms reaching out to take hold of her.

'Ebony...' the familiar voice called in mock sing-song tone.

Ebony screamed and backed away, colliding with a table and falling to the floor. She crawled along the floorboards backwards, still screaming. The room was silent for a second and then panic took hold. Other students shrieked and moved away, exchanged frightened or worried glances as to why the girl who last year had been almost feared by her peers was now running from her own reflection looking as though she'd just seen a ghost. Slughorn took the initiative and moved towards her, leaning down and grabbing her by the shoulders to pull her up, Ebony protested fiercely at his touch and screamed again, twisting away and making for the door. She moved faster than most thought were possible and then she was gone. The pupils looked towards their pale faced teacher and Draco disappeared out the door after his cousin calling her name.

'Ebony! Come back, where are you going? What happened? Hey, Ebony!'

Slughorn frowned, unsettled by the event that had just taken place.

'Class dismissed'

It was Hagrid who found her later, sitting by the lake casting spells into the water. For a moment he stood wordlessly behind her. She was aware of his presence and had stiffened, in case he tried to grab her the way Slughorn had.

'Hey Eb'ny' he lumbered over and took a seat next to her, she turned her head to face him and he felt a stab of pity. She wasn't scary. Not in the way others made out, for one, she was physically tiny, no more than about five feet tall and she'd always treated him with respect which at first had surprised him. It had been a pleasant surprise, but a surprise none the less. She had even gone well against her mother's wishes and taken Care of Magical Creatures as a NEWT option.

'Hey' she managed a faint smile

'Slughorn told me what happened today.'

'They must think I'm a freak.'

'You're different. And there ain't nothin' wrong with being different'

Ebony's attention was now back to the water, Hagrid peered over the side and saw what illusion she had made. A butterfly with beautiful colours in pink and white and blue flapped its delicate wings back at him.

'Do I look pretty?' Ebony's voice interrupted him and her eyes locked on the illusion below her as he watched the butterfly show off its wings in the water.

'It's very pretty. You' been taught well.' Hagrid got up to leave when her voice startled him again.

'I'd like to be a butterfly, what it'd be like to be someone else for just one day'


	9. Not Safe Yet

**A/N: Hi everybody! Sorry I didn't write one of these last time but I was in a hurry to post. Updates should be WAY more frequent now as I have more time to write (yippee!) Anyways, reviews make my life and I really hope you enjoy. Sorry this one's so short!**

For a time, everyone had believed it was over, the war was done, Voldemort was dead and the horcruxes were gone. Celebrations had got underway but the Malfoy/Lestrange family hadn't joined in. This is itself was unsurprising, they had lost. But it was more than that. Even though what was thought to be the worst was over that family were still harbouring a secret, one that they'd been hiding as best they could for seventeen years. It wasn't to harm anyone, but to protect, when Voldemort had vanished the first time, they'd assumed he was dead. Gone. Well, almost. He had his horcruxes.

And that was the conversation that Draco Malfoy overheard during his search after Charms class. Harry, Ron and Hermione were huddled at one end of the corridor, they'd lowered their voices as he approached and to begin with he wasn't interested in what they were talking about, that was until he heard the word 'horcrux'.

'Harry, they're gone! We destroyed them. It'll probably just take a bit of getting used to but they are gone.'

'Yes mate, it'll just be paranoia or something...'

'No, you two, you don't understand, I can _feel_ it. Like it's still here-'

'What can you feel Harry?' Hermione looked full of concern. Draco had slipped into a nearby classroom and pushed the door too, leaving a gap just big enough for him to see through.

'It's like I've missed something. It feel like, I don't know. Last night, I had a dream.' He looked between the two of them. 'Like before, I saw him Hermione. And he was laughing at me.'

Draco yanked the door open and hurried past the trio, he barely had time to register the looks of shock on their faces before he was running down halls, past paintings and armoured statues and out into the grounds. His goal: to find Ebony as fast as was possible.


End file.
